Finding fashion that fits can be the first step on the road to fitness

eXhale makes a line of stylish, well-made yoga and lifestyle wear for women. Their products are made in Canada and available in sizes ranging from 6 to 24.Photo by
Handout

Before a knee injury slowed her down, Leeann Froese was an avid runner who shopped at trendy sportswear stores like the Running Room.

But during the months of rehab that followed her mishap, the pounds crept on even though she was still working out.

Suddenly she found herself struggling to find something — anything — to wear to the gym.

“A challenge I find is that people like me, who work out but do have extra pounds, or who even need to get started in exercising, can be hard-pressed to find something of quality that feels good and moves with you and also flatters,” says Froese, a wine industry marketing consultant in Vancouver.

“I do not want to see myself in ill-fitting workout gear, and I am 100 per cent sure others don't want to see that either!” she says with a laugh.

It's a bitter irony that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to fitness for some people — especially women — is simply finding something to work out in.

The average dress size for a woman in North America is between 12 and 14. Yet 12 is the biggest size many sportswear lines come in; in fact, some go no bigger than a 10, and a skinny size 10 at that. That means an awful lot of women can't find a pair of yoga pants that fit.

It's a problem Chris Kwan is all too familiar with.

“I hear it all the time,” says the North Vancouver personal trainer, who works out with Froese.

In fact, she's experienced the problem herself. Although she's a petite size 2, she's got a muscular build and has found it almost impossible to fit into the tops at one fashionable yoga wear store. “And I'm tiny!” she exclaims.

Active wear retailers that specialize in running and yoga don't generally offer bigger sizes; they also cater to a very specific body type, one that is long and lean, not curvy or muscular.

“Most retailers focus on a 'target' customer and a 'target' look,” says Kerry Mitchell, president of Addition-Elle, a Montreal-based retail chain that caters to women size 14 and up. She notes that Addition-Elle takes a slightly different approach.

“We focus on offering our customer as many options as possible for her lifestyle,” Mitchell says. “We focus on clothes that are versatile, and believe we know our customer and make sure our clothes are made for her life.”

In the last few years, Addition-Elle has increased its range of yoga clothes, sports bras, workout gear and the kind of stylish active wear that makes travel and leisure activities so much more comfortable. The reaction has been “very positive,” Mitchell says, noting that “the combination of being comfortable and confident” adds to motivation and self-esteem.

Reitmans, Old Navy and Winners are among the other national chains that offer active wear for the hard-to-fit woman. Lower-end retailers such as Wal-mart and Zellers are also good places to shop for the hard-to-fit.

It can also be a lot easier to find clothes online through retailers like Eddie Bauer or designers such as Vancouver's Go Figure Designs.

Men can usually find more selection in the “big” and “tall” categories, especially at department stores or large sportswear retailers like Mountain Equipment Co-op. After all, men who play rugby, basketball and football are generally big guys, and the market caters to them in a way that it doesn't for huskier women.

For her part, Kwan thinks there is just too much attention paid to fashion at the gym. After all, no one is watching you — they're too busy focusing on their own workouts.

“It doesn't have to be complicated,” she says. “This whole thing where everyone is wearing colour-co-ordinated clothes, well, that's not necessary. It's just a matter of finding something simple, something comfortable that's not going to stick to you, and getting started. As long as you're comfortable and warm enough, then you're good to go.”

In fact, she says, all you really need is a T-shirt and a comfortable pair of pants. But she does realize how demoralizing the whole experience can be.

“Don't get down on yourself if you can't fit into something,” she says encouragingly. “You just have to realize that everyone starts somewhere.”

---

Where to shop

As anyone who's tried to find workout wear in hard-to-fit sizes can tell you, there's not a lot of selection out there if you don't fit into a narrow (and we do mean narrow) size range. If you're a curvy woman or a husky man, here are some of the best places to find great workout gear.

Looking for hard-to-fit active wear at Canada's department stores can be a hit-or-miss experience. Sometimes the selection is fantastic, especially in January when everyone is trying to work off the holiday excess and retailers stock up on fitness gear. Other times, you'll be lucky to find pair of leggings you can slip on over your calves. But because they carry such a wide range of products, department stores can still be a good place to begin your search.

This mall staple offers a terrific range of high-quality indoor and outdoor active wear from yoga pants to bathing suits to fleece hoodies and down parkas. The clothes come in a variety of fits (women's fashions come in tall, petite and plus sizes, as well as special designs for curvier and straighter bodies; men's clothes come in classic and relaxed fits as well as big and tall sizes). While not everything is available at the high end of the size range, women's sizes do go up to 24W, and men's up to XXXL. Unfortunately, the stores rarely carry the bigger sizes, but it's a snap to order them through the website.

Part of the Reitmans family of womenswear stores, which also includes Penningtons and MXM. All four brands offer some sort of plus-sized active wear, although Addition-Elle probably has the biggest and most fashion-forward selection for both fitness and leisure wear. Look for lots of yoga wear, stretchy pants, cute hoodies and sports bras by Champion.

Shopping at Winners can be a bit of a gamble, as availability depends entirely on what shipments have arrived lately. But when the stores do have active wear in stock, they carry some terrific options in a great selection of sizes. For women especially, it can be a great place to find stylish yoga wear, lifestyle pieces and sports bras, as well as shorts and tees for men. Some stores also have an Expanded Plus Department with even more selection; visit the website to find one near you.

This Vancouver-based company designs women's active wear in sizes from 10-12 to 24+. They produce a wide range of tops and bottoms, including yoga pants, shorts and running tops, as well as team wear and jackets. The clothing is available to order online, as well as at The Bay in British Columbia and a number of smaller boutiques such as Stride Running Store in Calgary.

This online store offers plus-sized women's active wear made in Canada. Sizes range from 14 to 24, and items include a wide range of tops, bottoms, jackets and bras, including the Enell sports bra that was featured on Oprah (the talk-show host described it as her favourite bra). The garments are fade-resistant and made of a soft, four-way stretch fabric with a moisture management system.

This line of stylish, well-made yoga and lifestyle wear for women is also made in Canada and available in sizes ranging from 6 to 24. It's carried at boutiques right across Canada and as far north as Yellowknife. Visit the website to find a store near you.

In Canada, you'll find shorts, tees, hoodies, leggings and other activewear in sizes up to 18 for women and XXL for men. But check the U.S. version of the website and you'll find a “women's plus” section that offers sizes up to 30 and a men's “big” section with sizes up to XXXL. A great place to score cute tunics and lace-trimmed leggings.

This trendy U.S. designer based in Maryland offers a wide selection of women's yoga pants, leggings, tees, hoodies and pullovers, both for active and lifestyle wear. The company ships to Canada, but be aware that there is a $15 US charge on top of shipping and duty.

Another U.S. company, Junonia offers everything from swimwear to ski wear for women in sizes from 1X to 6X (about 14 to 36). A great place for sleek, practical and functional designs. Like other U.S. retailers, it charges a fee to ship to Canada, in this case $25.

Related Posts

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.